Book Review: The Twilight Series

The Twilight Series is a New York Times best selling saga by Stephenie Meyer. According to the USA Today website, based on sales through April 12, 2009, all four books in the Twilight series occupy the top four spots on the weeks top 150 best sellers list. There is a good reason for that. Stephenie Meyer has legions of fans, both men and women, of all ages. With all the teen and tween hype surrounding Twilight, many people question whether the Twilight Series is something they could enjoy. Let's separate the hype from the substance of what Stephenie Meyer has created.

The Twilight Series Book 1: Twilight
In Twilight, Stephenie Meyer creates a believable world of fantasy within our own reality. The heroine Bella Swan, is intuitive, smart, mature and highly observant. We see events unfold through Bella's eyes and we become part of the story. Considering Bella's serious nature adults will find her head an interesting place to be.

Twilight the novel introduces us to Bella Swan, a very mature 17 year old girl who makes the decision to move from the bright landscape of Phoenix, Arizona to the overcast and rainy, small town of Forks, Washington, to live with her father Charlie the Chief of Police. The story is told from Bella's perspective and this literary device is effective as it makes Bella's experiences our own. None of the books in the Twilight Series are short reads, for good reason. Stephenie Meyer's use descriptive language and her attention to detail as well as her intelligent writing, make the reader feel as if they live in this small town, and suddenly their world just got more complicated too.

On her first day at her new high school, Bella observes members of the reclusive Cullen family and notices immediately that there is something very different about them. She is especially drawn to the youngest of the adopted Cullen children, Edward Cullen. Their first meeting in class does not go well as Bella finds Edward's behavior confusing and frightening, with him going so far as trying get out of their shared class. Events take a sudden turn when Edward inexplicably saves Bella's life putting himself between her and an oncoming van. Bella sees Edward stop the van with his hands. Bella can't ignore the evidence that the Cullens are not what they seem. After having a conversation with Jacob Black, a member of the Quileute Indian tribe, about local legends, Bella is convinced she knows the truth and it changes the course of her life from that moment forward. Critics of the book claim that Bella moons over Edward and his "perfection" too much, but I like to look at this as how first love is supposed to be. When we fall in love with someone, they are perfect, to us. We love the little things about them, their smile, their laugh and we think that they are beautiful. Our society can be so cynical sometimes that it's refreshing to read about something pure that also has an edge of excitement. In Twilight Stephenie Meyer has created her own unique mythology and it is fresh and intriguing.

The Twilight Series Book 2: New Moon
New Moon begins with Bella Swan, now a senior in high school, begrudgingly celebrating her birthday. An accident in which Bella is injured, starts a series of events that take the reader on an emotional roller coaster.
After the accident, Bella notices that Edward has become withdrawn and she becomes increasingly alarmed, as she feels something horrible is about to happen. Her worst fears are realized when Edward tells her he no longer wants her and that he and his entire family are leaving Forks. The Cullens leave. Stephenie Meyer manages to convey how deeply this loss affects Bella in a very intelligent way that echoes within the reader. Bella spirals into a consuming depression, not only from losing a love that she never believed was possible, but also from losing a family that she had planned to be part of and have a future with. Bella tries hard to appear normal, fearing if she leaves Forks she will lose her connection to Edward. To survive her loss, Bella develops a close friendship with Jacob Black, first introduced in Twilight. She soon finds that, even with the Cullens gone, the world she thought she knew is more strange than she believed. People are disappearing in the woods and there have been strange sightings of a large unknown creature. Something or someone is hunting Bella and killing people in the process. Bella makes a decision that takes her unexpectedly to Italy where she, finally, becomes the hero. In this installment in the Twilight Series, Stephenie Meyer again creates an elaborate, fantastic world that is still somehow believable to the reader. And she again brings a fresh idea to old myths. The environments are rich and descriptive and once again the reader feels as if they take each step with Bella. New Moon introduces a powerful, new group of characters whose presence affects the rest of the Twilight Series.

The Twilight Series Book 3: Eclipse
Eclipse finds Bella struggling with the events set in motion in New Moon. Edward Cullen is back in her life and her friendship with Jacob Black has been damaged. Bella finds herself in even more danger than usual. She is still being hunted, and a clan of powerful beings are planning a visit that is sure to end in someone dying. Bella's graduation is approaching quickly which brings it's own set of complications as she has to decide what her future will be. Alarming reports from Seattle reach Forks about an escalating series of murders being attributed to a serial killer. When the motive behind the murders is revealed, it leads to an unlikely alliance that culminates in an amazing battle that is engrossing. Eclipse is one of the best books in the Twilight Series. Stephenie Meyer weaves this story together with a great amount of skill and a passion for her characters that can't help but be felt by the readers as well. We come to care about Bella, the Cullens, Jacob and the other characters, as if they are real people we know. Eclipse, the third book in the saga, is an exceptional addition to the Twilight Series.

The Twilight Series Book 4: Breaking Dawn
All questions are answered and all issues are resolved in the final installment of the Twilight Series, Breaking Dawn. Bella and Edward's relationship is finalized, and this sets in motion a series of events that most fans of the series did not see coming! This book is a departure from the rest of the series, in that, an entire section of the book is told from someone else's viewpoint instead of Bella's. In Breaking Dawn we again see the impossible become possible. It heralds a return of the powerful and ancient group introduced in New Moon, that can only be described, as epic. An amazing facet of Breaking Dawn is the incredible sense of detail that started in Twilight, the sense of wonder that accompanies the story as Stephenie Meyer masterfully ends this saga with beauty, intelligence and heart. We are left with a heroine, who can take her place next to the likes of Elizabeth Bennett, as a warm, strong and endearing character with real depth. While leaving the reader satisfied with a tangible ending to Bella and Edward's story, Stephenie still leaves the fans wishing there was more.

For a stay-at-home mother who never intended on becoming a writer, Stephenie Meyer has changed the landscape of fantasy fiction, with a fresh, creative take on familiar and often written about, myths and legends. She has created a world all her own, that is both fantastical and believable.

Sources: USA Today http://content.usatoday.com/life/books/booksdatabase/default.aspx
Stephenie Meyer's official website : www.stepheniemeyer.com